After
by fififolle
Summary: After the Siege Part 3. Did you see what Ford did to Zelenka? Czeched out! COMPLETE!
1. Aftermath

**Disclaimers**: I do not own these characters; this is written for fun, I make no money etc.

**Spoilers:** Siege Parts 2, 3, Hot Zone

**A/N:** Apologies to emergencyfan – see the perfect Tag to Siege 3…Casualties of War. I did abandon this when I read that, but it's come back to bite me. So I finished it, and here it is. If I have stolen great phrases from anyone else and not realised it, sorry, and thanks!

**Summary:** After the Siege Part 3. Did you see what Ford did to Zelenka? Czeched out!

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**Part One: Aftermath**

Elizabeth watched as John left the 'gateroom, then turned and slowly made her way back up the stairs. Moments ago Aiden Ford had left in a jumper, and he had left a dark shadow hanging over John. Not only over him, she knew. They should be ecstatic that the Wraith fleet was leaving and the cloaked city had fooled this enemy. Instead, there was a deep sorrow.

As she neared the control desks, she could tell something was wrong. Rodney McKay was agitated and his voice was desperate.

"Radek! Respond!" McKay looked up and saw Elizabeth. "I can't raise Zelenka – he's in the jumper bay…what if Ford…?" his left his mouth hanging open, his face a mask of worry.

Elizabeth tapped her earpiece. "Major Sheppard, can you get back here, I need you to go to the jumper bay and check on Dr Zelenka." She nodded at McKay, and continued speaking into her radio. "Dr Beckett, we may need a medical team in the jumper bay."

They heard the Scot's brogue in reply, _"Right away, Dr Weir, and Teyla is coming with us, too."_

McKay had been firing instructions at his fellow Canadian who seemed to have stepped effortlessly into the shoes of Peter Grodin to manage the city systems. "If there is any fluctuation, any at all, you call me right away, OK?"

McKay began heading for the stairs. "Elizabeth, whatever has happened to Zelenka, I need to make sure the stealth generator stays online; I need to get up there myself." He was waiting for her nod, and he got it.

Major Sheppard raced past her, and up the stairs three at a time, and McKay was chasing him towards the upper level.

There was a lot of noise below the control deck, and when Elizabeth peered over she could see Carson, Teyla, and two medical technicians marching with purpose in her direction. Carson was uttering short commands and imparting his thoughts to them, they were nodding grimly and clutching their bags hard.

Elizabeth looked upwards reflexively as she heard Sheppard's voice coming over her earpiece. He was directing his comments to Beckett, telling him what had just happened, and it made her heart cold to hear his strained tones.

_"…Looks like he just got punched out cold… Damn, so much blood…Hurry, Carson…"_

"Breathing? Pulse?" Carson's clipped brogue seemed surreal as she watched him sweep past her and up the stairs fast.

_"Pulse, yes, oh, geez…He must be breathing, I can't tell easily…"_

She swallowed hard as she listened, her mind racing with scenarios, considering any further action she could make to impact the situation. There was none.

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A/N: I have five short parts written. Hope you enjoy! 


	2. Aftereffects

**Part Two: After-effects**

Elizabeth leaned against the control desk. She watched the Canadian sergeant monitoring the city cloak. He was concentrating, and hadn't contacted Rodney, so she assumed the cloak was still functional.

He suddenly seemed aware of her eyes on him. He looked up, and scanned her face and posture. She held his gaze thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you are needed in the jumper bay?" He spoke evenly and calmly.

She could feel the understanding pinning his words to her. How did he come to be so like Peter? She turned swiftly, heading for the stairs.

She knew the sergeant would simply return to his duty, as Peter had always done.

As she approached the rear of the jumper standing open on one side of the cavernous chamber, she watched the medical technicians working hard, scurrying from bag to bag, and returning inside the vehicle.

When she reached the rear door, she could see Dr Zelenka on the floor of the jumper, with Dr Beckett crouched over him. Teyla was on his other side, holding the engineer's hand. Now she could see what John had meant. The face of the Czech was a bloody mess, despite the obvious measures Carson had taken to clear airways and assess the extent of any injury. She blinked hard, and tried to sense Dr Beckett's mood. He was merely waiting, initial examination over.

Zelenka was beginning to stir, and Beckett touched his face. "Radek? Can you hear me, man? That's it, son, open your eyes."

She wondered at Carson's fatherly tone, coaxing consciousness to his friend, his peer. He had an excellent manner with his patients, she thought for the umpteenth time.

As Dr Zelenka began to mumble and move, Elizabeth's eye was drawn to John and Rodney who were at the front of the jumper. Rodney was hunched over a laptop, with wires trailing around, panels of the jumper flipped open all around him. John was trying to get his attention. It was beginning to look heated.

"Right lad, let's be having you." Beckett was helping Zelenka to sit up, and Elizabeth moved back instinctively, allowing the medic some room. She had to back out of the jumper as Beckett and Teyla steered Zelenka into the open. Beckett was talking softly to Zelenka, who was nodding weakly. Elizabeth resisted the urge to reach out to Radek. He had enough to cope with right now.

Beckett flashed Elizabeth a large grin as they passed her, and reassured her as he helped Zelenka into the chair another technician had brought. "Don't worry, Dr Weir, he seems to be OK for now. Amazingly nothing seems broken, but I'll confirm that in the infirmary. He'll need watched overnight at minimum, and I'll keep you informed." She acknowledged him with thanks, and watched as the medical entourage melted away.

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******A/N: **Thanks for the feedback. Thanks to everyone popping by. Next chapter up later...**  
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	3. Aftershock

**Part Three: Aftershock**

"Fine! Be like that!"

Elizabeth watched John storm away from Rodney and head towards the rear of the jumper. He hesitated when he saw her. She grabbed the moment and held out a hand to stop him.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She enquired, one eyebrow raised. She could not afford to have John and Rodney fighting amongst themselves, not right now.

John screwed up his face, and looked away. He sighed, then returned her stare. "_You_ talk to Rodney!" Her heart sank. If he was asking that, it must be bad. John could always win round the Canadian. He continued, "He's been mouthing off about Ford, damn it! Doesn't he get it?" His eyes pleaded with her to understand, to share his frustration. But Elizabeth had her own special gene. The diplomatic one.

"Take it easy, John." Her hand was firmly on his chest, restraining his anger. "Rodney won't be taking this well." She lowered her eyes, knowing it would still the Major. "It's only a few days since we lost Peter. Since _he_ lost Peter. You know they were close. You know Rodney doesn't really _do_ close. Now this?" She pointed to the blood still dripping around the rear locker. "Dr Zelenka is his right hand man. How do you think he's going to feel?" She let the words sink into John's mind. She could see him relax, and she let her arm drop to her side.

"Rodney cares a lot about Ford. We all do. You know that. If there was something Rodney could do to help, you know he would, no question. It's just…it's hard for him to lose friends or see them hurt. Rodney doesn't _do_…friends." She looked for a response in John's eyes, but all she could see was a blank void.

"Like I said, you talk to him." His voice was quiet and controlled, and it had lost the desperate edge. John sidestepped her and made his way out of the jumper bay.

Elizabeth sighed. This was not going to be easy to fix. She checked to see whether Rodney had been aware of their conversation. He was still working at the front of the jumper, his movements agitated and almost clumsy. She was right, he wasn't taking this well.

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A/N: Don't worry, we'll see more of Radek soon! Thanks everyone! 


	4. After All

**A/N:** Hey, I got into the Missing In Action C2 – thanks nebbyJen! Because of that, repeat after me...'This chapter is strictly gen', 'This chapter is strictly gen'. Good, well done. Many thanks for all the lovely reviews!

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**Part Four: After All**

She stood at his shoulder, watching him fiddle aimlessly with a wire.

"Is the cloak working, Rodney?"

"Yes. But I just shut it down. We don't need it now." His voice was gruff and monotone.

"Right. Good. Why don't you take some time out now the danger has passed?"

He turned and looked round at her. His face was full of fear, pain and anxiety. His mouth was open, he seemed unable to process the words.

She tried again, splitting it down into nice, easy to follow commands. "Go and see Dr Zelenka. Then get some sleep."

He closed his eyes for a moment. Then they flickered open, looking into each of her eyes in turn as he tried to focus. "What if he'd killed him?" he whispered.

"Just stop right there, Rodney!" She actually felt angry with him. He was always a pessimist, but it was grating now. "Lieutenant Ford is under the influence of the wraith enzyme, he's not himself anymore. But he did not hurt anyone seriously, thankfully, and he could have. He didn't actually shoot Beckett. We have to hope he can control himself until we can find him."

"He almost shot Beckett?" This was news to McKay, but Elizabeth realised too late.

"Ah. Yes. He told me there was gunfire when Ford took the enzyme. Look Rodney, please, I need you to want to find Ford as much as John does. Don't condemn him yet."

Rodney dropped his head in his hands and she thought he was trembling a little. "I don't think I could cope if he'd killed either of them."

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know. But he didn't. So why don't you get some rest, and then we can make a plan to get Ford back." She was suddenly overwhelmed with her own feeling of pessimism. "If we ever can…"

Now it was Rodney's turn to admonish. He looked up with glazed eyes. "That kid can take care of himself, Elizabeth. Enzyme or no enzyme. You'll see. I do want to find him, actually. Punk kid needs us, right?"

She sighed with relief. "That's better, Rodney. I know it's difficult, but Radek and Carson will feel the same way, I know it."

He nodded, his face now just tired. "Yeah, I know…" He stood up, waving her away. He gestured one hand towards himself, fingers twitching, "I just don't…_do_…caring."

She gave him a smile, and laid a hand gently and briefly on his arm. "You're doing fine, Rodney."

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**A/N**: Last bit up soon. 


	5. Afters

**Part Five: Afters**

"Don't you like jello?" McKay was tucking into the blue offering that Zelenka had pushed across the bed table.

The Czech had a face the colour of some alien autumn leaf, his nose swollen horribly. He shifted a little uncomfortably. "It's OK, Rodney. You look like you need it more than me." His voice was thick and indistinct through his injuries.

After a moments silence, Zelenka spoke again. "I didn't even see him, not really. So fast." He swallowed, and pulled the infirmary sheet tighter around his chest.

"Hey! You couldn't have stopped him!" McKay cried, mouth still full.

"But that is the point, Rodney. He knows I could have stopped him. Over-ridden the controls. Shut down the gate. Anything. He is smart. But it is frightening to think of him alone out there…What will he do?"

Spoon mid-air, McKay stopped in thought, "I don't know. Aren't you mad at him?"

"Mad? Why would I be? He is not himself, true? We must find him and get our Aiden back…Do you forget that he and I almost died together once?"

"How could I? But…yeah…that's right…you two were next…" McKay recalled the nanovirus that had killed five of his colleagues, and almost claimed many more.

"Indeed. We have shared much, all of us." Zelenka looked through his puffy eyes at his boss, "Rodney. You have to find him. Promise me you will help Major Sheppard to find him."

McKay blinked, considering the depth of feeling showed by everyone he had talked to. Sure, he knew Sheppard would never leave a man behind, but wasn't this hopeless? There was a whole galaxy to search. To search for a man determined to evade them, and who could do a very good job of that.

Zelenka sensed McKay's speculation about the hope they still held for Ford. "What? Do you want me to promise you more jello?" he tried to smile, but it hurt too much.

McKay finally answered, "No, dammit. Bribery won't help. I just…I mean, optimism isn't my strongest…" He sighed, considering the abilities of himself and his colleagues, calculating possibilities, "OK, you just watch…we'll find him. Sheppard, Teyla and I will find him, Beckett will fix him…You can feed him jello."

"It is a deal." Zelenka winced as he smiled, then leaned back and let himself drift into a welcome sleep.

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A/N: Well, glad I did that. Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for all the kind words, author alerts, favourites, etc. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling!


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